GAME BOARDS

A game board looks simple—until it arrives with a curl, a cracked fold, or artwork that no longer lines up.
Players may not know why it feels “off,” but they feel it immediately.
A good board stays flat, folds clean, and keeps your map and grids looking sharp under real table lighting.

Board choices aren’t just about size. They affect table presence, storage, durability, and how your artwork survives the fold and wrap.

Start with size, then design for the fold

Choose a board size that fits your layout and your box. If you’re between sizes, send your draft—we’ll help you avoid common layout traps like key icons sitting on fold seams or borders that look uneven once the board is wrapped.

Common pitfalls we help prevent:

• Misalignment at seams: grids, roads, or hexes that don’t meet cleanly across folds

• Critical art on fold lines: titles, symbols, or victory tracks split by the crease

• Tight safe zones: important elements drifting too close to wrap edges after mounting

Choose the feel: standard vs premium

Standard materials keep things efficient. Premium options add stiffness and a more substantial hand-feel, especially noticeable on larger boards or higher-MSRP editions.

Common pitfalls we help prevent:

• Warping / bowing: boards that don’t sit flat after shipping or humidity changes

• Soft corners: edges that dent easily during packing and fulfillment

Pick the finish players will actually play on

Gloss or matte changes how colors read under light. Smooth or linen texture changes how the board feels and how scuffs show over time.

Common pitfalls we help prevent:

• Glare: overhead lighting reflecting off glossy surfaces and washing out art

• Scuffing: dark areas showing wear quickly without the right surface choice

• Color shift: finishes changing how saturated artwork appears on the table

Choose the fold that fits the table

Bi-fold, quad-fold, 6-fold and more—fold type is practical: table size, storage, and how often the board is opened and closed.

Common pitfalls we help prevent:

• Fold crack / white lines: visible cracking along creases after repeated use

• Uneven folding: panels that don’t close cleanly, causing edge wear over time

Construction: standard vs lay-flat

Standard construction works well for most projects. Lay-flat construction is used when you want the board to sit flatter on the table and feel more refined during play.

Common pitfalls we help prevent:

• Lifted folds: boards that “tent” at the crease and won’t stay flat during play

• Edge stress: tension that increases corner wear when the board is repeatedly folded

File review before it becomes a production problem

Send your design files and we’ll check fold alignment, safe zones, wrap/bleed, and seam behavior—so you don’t discover issues after sampling.

Sample, approve, then scale

We’ll produce a custom sample that reflects the real board: fold behavior, finish, and print. Once approved, we move into mass production.